SYNOPSIS: The
C-2A Greyhound provided critical logistics support to aircraft carriers
around the world. Its primary mission was to transport personnel
including litter patients during medical evacuation missions, supplies,
mail, or a combination thereof, to and from the carrier task force to
which it was assigned. Powered by two PT-6 turboprop engines, the
Greyhound was able to deliver a payload of up to 10,000 pounds.
Priority cargos, such as jet engines, were stored within the aircraft’s
cage restraint system and could be transported from ship to shore in a
matter of hours. For fast turnaround operations, the
onboard power winch allowed for straight-in rear cargo loading and
downloading
through its large aft cargo ramp and door. Further, the C-2A’s
open-ramp
flight capability allowed for airdrop of supplies and personnel from
carrier-launched
aircraft. The Greyhound also had folding wings and an onboard auxiliary
power unit for engine starting and ground power self-sufficiency in
remote
areas that provided it with an operational versatility found in no
other
cargo aircraft.On 2 October 1969, a C2A
from Fleet Tactical Support Squadron 50, NAS Atsugi, Japan was
transferring crewmen from Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Republic of the
Philippines to the USS Constellation task force located in the Gulf of
Tonkin. The crew of the C2A assigned to this early morning flight was
comprised of Lt. Herbert H. Dilger, pilot; Lt. Richard A. Livingston,
co-pilot; AMS3 Rayford J. Hill, crewmember; ADJ3 Paul K. Moser,
crewmember; and ADJ3 Michael J. Tye, crewmember.

<>Mr. Bytheway was an
electrical engineer working for Collins Radio and based at the
company’s facility in Manila, Philippine Islands. Over the past 3
years, he had traveled to various American bases and ships located
throughout Southeast Asia to service equipment for his company.
Frank Bytheway was now being dispatched to the USS Constellation to
work on the ship’s radar and communications equipment.

Passengers onboard the Greyhound whose final destination was other
ships in the carrier group task force were: PN1 Rolando C. Dayao and
YNC Leonardo M. Gan who were returning to the
Destroyer USS Walke, TN Reynaldo R. Viado who was returning to the
Destroyer USS Hamner, and MM2 William R. Moore who was destined for the
Guided Missile Cruiser USS Long Beach. >

After take off, Lt.
Dilger reported "Ops Normal." Communications with other squadron
aircraft and the carrier's air control center indicated operations were
normal. The carrier's radar continued tracking the Greyhound until
approximately 55 minutes after takeoff, when radar contact was lost.
The last radar position was approximately 26 miles out from the USS
Constellation. That position was also 68 miles due east of the North
Vietnamese coastline, 68 miles northeast of Dong Hoi, 137 miles
southeast of Vinh, North Vietnam; and 82 miles southwest of Hainan
Island, China.

An extensive search and
rescue (SAR) operation was immediately initiated. Shortly thereafter
other aircraft in the area began sighting an oil slick and debris. A
search and recovery helicopter launched from the ship was able to
recover a few pieces of the aircraft. The recovered debris indicated
that the aircraft was in a relatively high-speed nose down, right wing
down impact with the water, or a possible right wing failure before
impact. During the thorough search no bodies of the crew and passengers
were found. At the time the formal search was terminated all 26 men
were reported
as Killed /Body
Not Recovered.

There is virtually no
chance that the crew and passengers onboard the C2A Greyhound can ever
be recovered due to the type of loss. However, each man has the right
not to be forgotten by the nation he gave his life for. For other
Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, their fate
could be quite different.

Since the end of the
Vietnam War, over 21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and
otherwise unaccounted for have been received by our government. Many of
these reports document LIVE American Prisoners of War remaining captive
throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.

Military and civilian
personnel in Vietnam were prepared to be wounded, killed, or captured.
It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the
country they proudly served.